Category: industry

When talking about Plugs we often refer to the ones which can be seen inside the various electrical appliances and equipment inside our homes and the workplace. However, in this article we will be referring to plugs in a different context altogether. These small and tiny sized devices are used for various industrial and manufacturing purposes. We will have a look at these unique gadgets and work out what exactly it is that they do.

As such a common product, dip moulding technology is often employed to mass produce these components in the style and sizing required. Each Plug can have many different uses and therefore are considered extremely versatile, some uses include to seal holes as well as to blank them off. Common inside a number of industries each Plug can adhere to exact needs and requirements, being made flexible or out of a particular material.

Different Shapes & Sizes

The best thing about using Plugs over alternate components is that they can become a cost effective and reliable source for finishing and completing products during the manufacturing process. It is because of this that they are produced in a huge array of different shapes, sizes and materials depending on the needs of a specific project. Some of the most common materials used include Vinyl, Polyurethane, LDPE & HDPE just to name a few.

Consumer Uses For Plugs

Along-side their use inside the Industry/Manufacturing, these kind of Plugs can also be found inside consumer households for general day-to-day uses. These uses, however general they may be, are effective in the sense that they easily complete a simple task such as filling or blanking off a panel hole.

Uses Inside the Manufacturing Industry

Plugs have a number of uses inside the Manufacturing Industry hence their wide availability. Coming in a number of different variants they can be used for almost anything such as:

To protect threads
To blank off a panel/hole
To add a finish to an application
To seal off a pipe or pole

As you can see, the uses found inside the Manufacturing Industry are similar to many consumer uses aside from the fact that they may be bought in much smaller quantities.

Materials Used

It would be pertinent to mention here that different grades of materials can be used depending on what it is they are going to be used for. For example a certain grade of PVC may be used to provide an added level of flexibility and tenacity to promote an air-tight fitting, preventing moisture, grime and dirt build up on the inside.

The different grades of material can help to ensure that shredding, resistance, splitting and insulation aren’t a problem further down the line when it would be too late to return or exchange. Another key reason for different grades of materials is to bring a different colour. Colours are often a high priority inside many industries to differentiate and to provide a clean, ideal finish. Some of the most common colours Plugs are produced in include:

Natural
Black
Blue
Red

Different Types Of Plugs

There is a huge number of variations of these products, mainly being separated into two main categories; These being Plastic Plugs & Rubber Plugs.

Rubber Plugs are regularly used for uses such as sealing and filling a hole, this is because of the properties that rubber provides as well as the cheap nature of the material. Rubber Plugs come in a wide range of styles depending on the uses you have for them, often coming with more advanced properties than their plastic counter-parts.

Some common types of Rubber Plugs include:

Silicone & EPDM Tapered Plugs
Blanking Plugs

Plastic Plugs on the other hand are often used for protection uses where the application may need screwing in, for example to protect a thread. Plastic Plugs are often the more cost effective option and are often deemed as a disposable product depending on what you use them for.

Some common types of Plastic Plugs include:

Threaded Plugs
Barrel Plugs

As a whole it is clear to see how important the different types of Plugs are in terms of their uses across Industry, especially inside Manufacturing where they are used every day to finish, protect and blank off.

Technological progress has introduced 3D printing to the world. This is not just any other technology since it allows you to make fun, useful and exciting objects. You can find 3D printing around you. The technique is used in automotive industry, packaging industry, health care and aircraft. Given below are a few benefits of the technique.

Affordable

The conventional methods of prototyping cost more. With 3D printers, you can make tools and parts via additive manufacturing without spending an arm and a leg. For instance, 3D printing allows the production of cheap surgical tools, such as forceps, clamps, scalpel handles and hemostats, just to name a few.

Mitigate Risk

Keep in mind that if you are going to build a project, what you can do is 3D print a prototype first prior to buying a costly molding tool. This way you can get it redesigned or modify the current mold if needed. Making a prototype that is production ready builds your confidence so you can make large investments.

Quick production

3D printing takes a few hours. As soon as the design is ready, you can convert it into a printer readable file and get it printed. The great thing is that this process requires zero intervention. It’s fast. There will be no wait and the product can be marketed easily. Aside from this, redesigning the prototypes is a quick process.

Customization

Industries produce their products in large quantities, which mean that the products make use of the same mold. Moreover, their shape and design is similar to that of the assembly line. However, in case of 3D printing, it is possible to personalize something through the tweaking of the prototype based on your needs.

Tool-less

In the conventional industrial manufacturing, it takes less time, cost and labor to produce tools. For low volume applications in industries, the process requires fewer resources. As a result, you save time, labor and cost.

New structures and shapes

The conventional methods of manufacturing depend on cutting and molding techniques in order to produce the desired shape. Before the addition of holes to change direction, square internal cavities or unrealistic overhangs are hard to achieve; however, 3D printing modifications are easy to make. The nozzle of the 3D printers allows you to build numerous figures and shapes. The fact of the matter is that 3D printing is used to make medical implants that look like skulls, bones, jewelry and other similar things.

Diverse material

For production on a large scale, mixing of raw materials is not a good idea since it costs a lot. Aside from this, the chemical and physical properties is hard to mix in the conventional methods. The 3D printing is in-progress in this area then. The fact of the matter is that this type of printing is compatible with different types of materials, such as glass, metals, silver, gold, food, biomaterials and paper, just to name a few.

Better quality

If you bake a cake following the recipe, the result will be a lip-smacking cake. On the other hand, if you have no idea how to bake, your cake may have some air bubbles, thickness or a different texture. But with this new technique, you will have better control of the final shape of the cake.

Sensors are intended to detect a change in a wide range of events or quantities. Most sensors are built to produce an optical output signal or electrical signal after detecting a particular type of input. There are many different sensors to match specific functions and applications.

Here are three of the main types of sensors:

Temperature

One of the most common types of sensors is those made to measure temperature. Thermostats are certain to feature in the home and used to detect and control the temperature of ovens, air conditioners, refrigerators and heating systems. Industrial sensors are standard in data centers and laboratories. There is a wide range of temperature sensors, but most are passive units, such as thermistors, RTDs and thermocouples. Thermocouples are the most cost-effective option. They are straightforward to use and are not dependent on an excitation signal.

Pressure

Pressure sensors feature in a wide range of manufacturing and industrial systems. The sensors are used to control and measure fluid, gas or air pressure. Most are built using quartz or piezoelectric sensors. They are built to detect many different types of pressure, such as gauge pressure (atmospheric conditions), differential pressure (pressure between two points), or absolute pressure (similar to a vacuum). The analog outputs are built to measure current, such as 4-20mA, or voltage, such as 1-5V. The output information can vary to match the specific situation, and includes PSI, kg/cm2, or bars.

Even though the pressure sensors are mostly used in industrial systems, they also feature in designs for a wide range of consumer products, such as automotive seats and mattresses.

Capacitive

Capacitive sensing has seen a significant increase in popularity in recent years with the development of touch screen devices, such as smartphones and tablets. However, it has previously been used to detect material properties, humidity and fluid levels. This type of sensor is made using multiple layers and connects to a circuit board. The sensor has the ability to detect the location or movement of the finger on the screen. It is only able to detect capacitance related to the skin, and isn’t intended to work with fingernails.

When it comes to controlling capacitive sensing, the fingers do not come into direct contact with the sensing unit. A great benefit of this is the low risk of mechanical wear after regular use. Any onscreen movement is sensed by an IC. This information is digitized and passed on to a microcontroller to let the smartphone complete the particular action.

An Industrial Oven is a sort of heated chamber that is mainly used for industrial applications such as curing, drying, heating, and baking of parts or final products. If you ever stepped into the market to purchase a right option for your industrial application, so, probably you know that there are countless options to confuse you. Don’t worry; we are here to help you. In this article, we discuss what points you need to consider before your purchase the oven. This selection guide may help you to make a wise decision that secures your investment. So, let’s start.

Points To Consider Before You Buy An Industrial Oven:

Examine Your Application: Whenever you go out to find the right piece of any machine, it is important to understand or examine the need for your application. Make sure the device you are going to purchase able to perform all the application for what you are buying it. Choice for the perfect device can vary as per your application requirement, so, examine it carefully is your foremost duty.
Understand Which Model Work Well: The need of every application varies according to their production volumes. Therefore, you have to make the choice between its different models. The right choice compliments your process and a wrong decision may ruin everything. It’s a long-term investment decision, so, think twice before coming to any conclusion or else they not only increase your monetary loss but also create troubles in the process.
Selection Of The Right Chamber Size: The decision of chamber size vary from application to application. You want to buy the oven for baking, curing, drying or sterilizing the processing need is different from one another and the size of the chamber totally depends on it, so, you should check it before placing your order.
Design And Construction Consideration: Industrial Oven Manufacturers undoubtedly, design the device in different options, therefore, it is good to consider this point before purchasing. And in case the design is not as exactly as you want for the application, you can customize it.

These a few important points you need to consider before purchasing the industrial oven for your particular industrial application. This selection guide will help you shop wisely, so you can buy the right device that never gives you the chance to complain. What are you waiting for? Go and get it now to reap all the benefits this amazing product has to offer.

The plastic injection molding method is one of the most used techniques for producing a high volume of plastic parts. This method relies on a heated barrel and a special mold cavity to create the precise shape and size of different plastic objects. Here are a few of the benefits of using plastic injection molding:

Accurate

Plastic injection molding is a highly accurate method that can easily shape virtually any part. In most cases, the accuracy level of this method is within 0.005 inches.

Flexibility

The production process is extremely flexible with the option to make adjustments to match the needs. For instance, it is easy to change the color of the product in production and even change the type of material in use.

High strength components

This manufacturing process is a perfect option for creating high strength components. It is possible to inject a preferred type of filler into the plastic at the molding stage to enhance the all-round strength and reduce the density of the liquid plastic. This technique is highly favored in industries that need to mold the strongest parts possible.

Fast

This is often the favored method for longer production runs because it is very fast at shaping the individual parts. Even though the complexity of the desired shape can impact the time, most parts are easily completed within a time-frame of 15 to 30 seconds.

Labor

Injection molding is a highly automated process that is self-gating and built with a streamlined operation in mind. It needs minimal supervision once the initial shaping information has been entered. This means there is a great opportunity to save on labor costs for the most efficient production line.

Smooth finish

Any part that is molded using this technique needs no extra finishing at the end. The actual mold is designed to produce a part that fully resembles its finish appearance, and no extra work is needed to make it smooth or remove rough edges.

Resourceful

This is a production method that leads to minimal waste and can benefit the environment. A useful feature is the ability to only use the exact amount of plastic to create the part. Also, in the event of having any leftover plastic, this is easy to recycle after use.

Low-cost production

In the long-term, plastic injection molding is one of the most cost-effective production methods, and a lot cheaper than alternatives like plastic machining. The actual process of creating the mold is the most expensive part, but the long runs are significantly more favorable in cost.

1. Why is the two-seat valve prone to oscillation when working under small opening conditions?

For single-core valves, when the medium is flow-open type, they’re stable. When the medium is flow-closed type, they’re unstable. There’re two valve cores in the two-seat valve. The lower core is in flow-closed condition while the upper core is in flow-open condition. In this case, under small opening conditions, the flow-closed type of valve core will easily cause oscillation of the valve. This is why two-seat valves can be used for small opening conditions.

Two-seat valve core has the advantage of balanced force double-sealing valve structure, allowing a large pressure difference. And its shortcoming is that the two sealing surfaces cannot be in good contact at the same time, causing a large leakage. If it’s purposefully and mandatorily used in shut-off occasions, the effect won’t be good, even if a lot of improvements have been made on it. (such as double-sealing sleeve valve)

3. Why does the straight stroke sanitary regulating valve have a poor anti-blocking performance and rotary stroke regulating valve have a good anti-blocking performance?

The core of straight stroke valve is vertical throttle, but the flow direction of the medium is horizontal. So there must be lots of twists and turns in valve cavity flow channel, making the flow paths of the valve very complex. Therefore, there’re a lot of blind zones that provide space for deposition of the medium, which in the long run causes clogging. The throttle direction of rotary stroke valve is horizontal, the medium horizontally flows in and out, which can easily take away unclean medium. Meanwhile, the flow path is simple, and there’s little room for medium deposition, so rotary stroke valve has a good anti-blocking performance.

4. Why is the stem of straight stroke regulating valve thin?

It involves a simple mechanical principle: the bigger the sliding friction, the smaller the rolling friction. The stem of straight stroke valve moves up and down. If the stuffing slightly pressed a little tighter, it would wrap up the stem tightly, resulting in a large hysteresis. To this end, the valve stem is designed to be thin and small and the stuffing use PTFE that has a small friction coefficient in order to reduce the hysteresis. But the problem that derives from this is that a thin valve stem is easy to bend and the stuffing has a short service life. To solve the problem, the best way is to use rotary valve stem, a regulating valve similar to the rotary stroke ones. Its valve stem is 2 to 3 times thicker than that of the straight stroke valve. And it uses graphite stuffing that has a long service life. The valve stem stiffness is good, the service life of stuffing is long, the friction torque and hysteresis are instead small.

5. Why does the rotary stroke valve have a relatively large shut-off pressure difference?

It’s because the torque on the rotating shaft produced by the force of medium on valve core or valve plate is very small.

6. Why is the service life of desalination water medium short when using rubber lined butterfly valve and fluorine lined diaphragm valve?

The medium of desalination water contains low concentrations of acid or alkali, which are pretty corrosive to rubber. The corrosion of rubber is exemplified by expansion, aging and low strength. The poor effect of using rubber lined butterfly valve and diaphragm valve is actually caused by the intolerance of corrosion of rubber. Rear rubber-lined diaphragm valve is improved to be the fluorine lined diaphragm valve that has a good tolerance of corrosion. But the lining of diaphragm of fluorine lined diaphragm valve can’t withstand the up-and-down folding and is broken, resulting in mechanical damage and shorter service life of the valve. Now the best way is to use water treatment special ball valves, which can be used for 5 to 8 years.

7. Why should shut-off valves try to use hard sealing?

Sanitary shut-off valves require the leakage to be as low as possible. The leakage of soft sealing valve is the lowest, so the shut-off effect is certainly good. But it’s not wear-resistant, not reliable. Judging from the double standard of small leakage and reliable sealing, soft sealing shut-off is not as good as hard sealing shut-off. Take full-featured ultra-light regulating valve for example, it’s sealed and piled with wear-resistant alloy for protection, highly reliable, has a leakage rate of 10 to 7, all of which already have met the requirements of shut-off valves.

Sleeve valves, which first appeared in the ’60s, were widely used in the ’70s worldwide. Sleeve valves account for a large percentage in petrochemical equipment imported during the ’80s. At that time, many people thought sleeve valves could replace single-seat and double-seat valves to become the second-generation products. Until now, that is not the case. Single-seat valves, double-seat valves and sleeve valves are equally used. That’s because sleeve valves only improve the way of throttle, have better stability and maintenance than single-seat valves. But its weight, anti-blocking and leakage indicator are the same as those of single-seat and double-seat valves.

9. Why is selection more important than computation?

Compare computation with selection, selection is more important and more complicated. Computation is only a simple formula. It’s not the formula itself, but rather the accuracy of given parameters that matters. Selection involves a lot of things, being a bit careless will lead to improper selection, which not only results in the waste of manpower, material, and money, but the effects of use are not good, causing a number of problems in use, such as reliability, service life and quality, etc.

10. Why is piston actuator increasingly used in pneumatic valves?

For pneumatic valves, the piston actuator can make full use of air pressure to make the size of the actuator smaller than that of the film type. The thrust is bigger. The O-ring in the piston is also more reliable than that of the film. All in all, it’s increasingly used.

Whether you talk of fresh food items, dry groceries, machine parts, furniture or hardware, every product needs to be well packaged. The type of packaging best suited to a product depends on a number of factors including cost of the product, perceived value, size, fragility, shelf life etc. Thus, there are a number of materials that can be used to package a product such as paper, polythene, corrugated cardboard, cartons, shrink wrap and pallets.

Why do you need Packaging?

The most obvious reason to package a product carefully, is to protect it while it moves from the factory floor to the retail shops and then to the customer’s house. However, this is not the only reason to focus on packaging. Packaging plays an important role in a customer’s decision making process. The way a product is packaged is the first interaction many customers have with the product and hence this plays an important role in creating a first impression. A well packaged product speaks of attention to detail and helps build trust in a brand name.

Packaging is also important from a marketing perspective. This is because whilst the product itself may offer limited space for branding, a carton or sleeve allows a much larger space for branding thus making the brand name more visible. When it comes to wholesale packaging, cartons are usually left plain. However, it is still possible to brand the cartons by using printed carton tape.

How to Choose the Right Packaging Material

The wrong packaging can put a customer off the product. The first step to packing a product is to select the right material. There are many factors that must be considered when picking packaging materials. These include:

Type of Product- While dry groceries need to be packed in such a way so as to be visible to customers and yet protected against natural elements; product visibility does not matter when packing hardware items or machine parts. A few other product characteristics to keep in mind are sensitivity to light and moisture, shelf life and reaction to other materials.

Cost of the Product- The cost of packaging a product should be in direct relation to the cost of the product and should not exceed it. Thus, whilst clear, polythene bags are sufficient packing for disposable plates, bone chine needs to be packed in boxes with cushion packaging.

How the products are to be shipped- To a certain extent wholesale packaging also plays a role in determining the right material for retail packaging. For example, if the products are going to be packed in a larger carton, puncture resistance is not a high priority. However, if the products are going to be stacked on a pallet, this is a factor that will need to be considered.

Common Types of Packaging

Paper Board

Paper is the cheapest and most ecofriendly way to package a product. Paper is often used in the form of boxes to package low cost items such as stationery or in the form of paper bags for fast food and other consumables.

Polythene

Polythene bags are the most preferred form of packaging for products such as dry groceries and liquids. This is because it is transparent thus allowing the consumer to see the product being purchased and protects the food items from natural elements.

Rigid Plastic

Rigid plastic may be used to package both consumables and non-consumables. This is a chosen packaging material when the product needs to be visible to the consumer and yet protected against shocks and being accidentally dropped etc.

Corrugated cardboard

When it comes to large products such as furniture, it is not possible to fit the piece into a carton. Hence, such products are usually wrapped in corrugate sheets to protect them against bumping into other things or being dropped accidentally.

Preventive maintenance planning and practices influence most major maintenance department activities in a manufacturing environment. Here are some examples of this.

Equipment downtime is largely affected by preventive maintenance or the lack there of.
Repair work orders are subjected to the influences of the preventive maintenance program.
Purchasing and inventory are affected by preventive maintenance for routine replacement of expendable spares as well as repair parts required for unexpected downtime.

As evidenced by the points above, preventive maintenance should be “first base” for any maintenance department. Unfortunately sometimes routine preventive maintenance activities often do not get the attention or credit they are due. This is a mistake. So what are the keys to a successful preventive maintenance program?

A good preventive maintenance (PM) task list contains the following components:

The equipment item.
The task(s).
The person the task is assigned to.
A task interval.
A start date and due date.
Optional: Detailed instructions and pictures if needed.
Optional: Task completion sequence.

Begin with your equipment list. Next gather appropriate tasks for preventive maintenance task lists from OEM manuals or online manuals when possible. This is a good place to start, especially with newer equipment. In some cases, the equipment warranty is dependent upon following the OEM recommendations. Another source of tasks is the maintenance manager’s experience and intuition. Yet another source is branch locations running similar equipment.

When developing a task list, consider the reusability of the task descriptions. Reusability refers to using the same task description on potentially multiple equipment items. The benefit is that there are fewer tasks, no duplicate task descriptions and better reporting and analysis of PMs. Consider these examples:

REUSABLE task description: Lubricate Roller Chain(s)

NOT REUSABLE: Lubricate Roller Chain(s) on Conveyor #1

In the first example this task, Lubricate Roller Chain(s), is appropriate for any equipment with a roller chain. In the second example, Lubricate Roller Chain on Conveyor #1, is only appropriate on the Conveyor #1 PM task list. Imagine how cumbersome your preventive maintenance software management efforts become if you are not using reusable tasks. Another example that may cause problems later is naming conventions such as 30 Day PMs or Weekly Tasks. This creates unneeded redundancy, as the interval (30 in this case) is included in the PM record already. Additionally there is no task description here that refers to the actual work performed.

How do you create reusable tasks? Begin with the most generic tasks you can think of and create these first. Examples could be Inspect, Clean, Lubricate, etc. After these task descriptions have been created, go to the next step and create tasks that are somewhat more specific. Here are some examples: Check Wiring, Replace Lubricant, Lube Chains. Continue with increasingly more specific tasks always trying to avoid including the equipment or equipment component in the task description. Eventually, for specialized tasks that are only performed on specific equipment, it may become necessary to include a component of the equipment in the task description. Keep the task description short and focused on the actual task. Obviously if the task description is short, it may not fully describe the job. This is where detailed instructions and pictures are used.

Next, determine what interval units are needed for your PM system. Calendar-based PMs usually will use a day interval. For example every 7 days Lubricate Roller Chain(s). Other tasks may be demand based or based upon the actual runtime of the equipment. In some cases, hours or minutes may be appropriate. As you gain experience with this set of PM tasks and intervals changes to the tasks and intervals may be warranted. Consequently choose a system that makes editing existing PMs simple and without historical data loss.

Ensure that Adequate Resources are in Place

Listed below are resources you need for a successful preventive maintenance program:

Trained and available personnel.
Adequate spares, expendables, lubricants, drive chain, bearings, etc.
Time in the production or equipment runtime schedule to perform PMs.
A motivated team of maintenance professionals.

Personnel must be trained and capable of safely performing the required work. Vigorously enforce proper lockout/tagout procedures. Stock on hand for expendables and other spares used for PMs has to be adequate. Inadequate spares not only prevents completion of the PMs, but also hurts motivation when personnel attempting to perform their job are hindered by a lack of spares. As such, the purchasing department has to have an ordering system that stays ahead of preventive maintenance spares requirements. Additionally an accountability system (CMMS) helps track spares use for restocking purposes. In summary, show your maintenance technicians how important you believe preventive maintenance is by providing the materials and training needed for these important tasks.

Time is a resource. Time must be available so that personnel can perform their work. This may require scheduling changes so that maintenance personnel are available during scheduled equipment downtime. Given the right resources, your maintenance team cannot help but be motivated to succeed with equipment maintenance.

Use a Maintenance Software Solution to Track and Manage Maintenance

Now that the tasks, intervals, personnel, training and scheduling are established it is time to load the data into a preventive maintenance software system. With so many CMMS choices, it is important to do your research carefully. Approximately fifty CMMS companies go out of business annually and fifty more replace these. Choose a well-established long-term CMMS company that has a proven record of accomplishment. Ask the following questions when choosing a CMMS:

How long has the CMMS company been in business?
How flexible is the preventive maintenance system?
Are there different task list formats available?
Is it possible to automate task list issuance?
Do technicians have the ability to close their own PMs while maintaining the integrity of the data?
Is it possible to close PMs without leaving the plant floor?
How easy (or hard) is it to adjust preventive maintenance task schedules?
Are labor and parts costs easily summarized and reported?
Is there an objective way to know how to optimize task lists or task intervals based upon downtime or reliability data?

When evaluating a CMMS it is best to run a demonstration copy of the proposed system with your own sample equipment and tasks. Use the system for at least 30 days. Issue preventive maintenance task lists to your personnel. Get their buy-in by demonstrating the usefulness of the system. Prove to yourself and your maintenance technicians that using the software makes both of your jobs easier. Most importantly confirm that this system has the potential to improve equipment availability and reliability.

Consider support and training as part of the initial investment. CMMS software training is well worth the investment as it brings the maintenance department up to speed quickly with the CMMS and instills confidence in its use. This leads to better compliance in entering and updating data.

Price is important, however the real cost benefit of CMMS comes not from the initial investment in CMMS but in the ongoing use and benefits derived from that use. Some CMMS software solutions are subscription-based. Others are a one-time investment with a perpetual license. While there are several factors to consider in CMMS selection, initial investment (price) should be a low priority when the budget allows. Ask yourself this question: “Do you want to trust millions of dollars in equipment assets to a cheap CMMS?”

2. Implement Your New Preventive Maintenance Program

Now it is time to start reaping the benefits of your new preventive maintenance program. Here are a few questions to consider when implementing your new PM program:

Should tasks lists be printed, emailed or simply viewed through a tablet or smart-phone?
How are tasks closed and what data should be included?
Who should close the preventive maintenance tasks as they are completed?
What will you use the system when maintenance personnel are absent?
Should spare parts lists be included on the task list?
If spares are included on the task list, should stock levels automatically draw down when the PM is completed?

The answers to these question come down to company policy, industry requirements, regulations and personal preference.

3. Assess and Adjust Your Equipment Maintenance Program

Constantly assessing your preventive maintenance program is an integral part of managing this system effectively. Equipment runtime schedules change, equipment demand changes, personnel change, maintenance technologies and procedures change. Your primary assessment tool is equipment maintenance data. The longer you use your CMMS system the more data it accumulates. Assuming that you chose a CMMS that provides extensive analysis and reporting, this data is now a valuable decision-making store. Use this data for OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) and reliability analysis. Choose a CMMS that uses MTBF (mean time between failures) to suggest preventive maintenance task intervals. Using real runtime data to set PM task intervals eliminates guesswork.

Being a proactive maintenance manager you should be adjusting to these changes as needed. Here are some things to look out for and some ideas on how to react. Keep in mind that sometimes there is no substitute for an experienced maintenance manager’s intuition.

Equipment Runtime Schedule Changes

In some situations, preventive maintenance can only be performed while equipment is in a scheduled shut down period. This creates a problem for maintenance scheduling. Here are some ways to manage this situation.

Equipment demand relates to more than just runtime schedule changes. Demand reflects the actual time equipment is running and how much work it performs during the scheduled period. Obviously triggering PMs based upon calendar days would not be appropriate in these cases. It is best to trigger PMs in this case based upon runtime hours, cycles, cuts or whatever the appropriate meter unit is for that equipment. Consequently this equipment should have a counting device or be connected to the system that automatically triggers preventive maintenance work orders through an OPC compliant data connection.

Select a CMMS software solution that reads OPC data directly from the equipment then automatically responds with a preventive maintenance work order at exactly the right moment.

Personnel Changes

The best way to overcome this inevitable change is to have detailed listings of preventive maintenance tasks, intervals, spares requirements and history. Make sure this information is available to pass on to the new person. The more organized your system is the easier is to move seamlessly through this change. Once again, a good preventive maintenance software solution addresses this need.

An example of this type of change could be a new sensor that provides critical maintenance data to an OPC server. This data in turn indicates the correct PM interval. Another example could simply be running the equipment only when needed. This action saves energy resources and may reduce wear and tear on the equipment.

Is there a role-based permission capability that allows the maintenance technicians to close their own PMs?
Is there a mechanism to validate PMs closed by technicians?
Does the ability to temporarily assign tasks to an alternate maintenance technician exist?
Is it possible to gather runtime data through an OPC compliant data network and issue work orders automatically.

Summary

Preventive maintenance is the one of the primary responsibilities of the maintenance manager in a manufacturing environment. Many maintenance department activities are affected by, and rely on a successful preventive maintenance program. More importantly, success of the manufacturing facility as a whole is directly proportional to the quality of the design, implementation and management of the preventive maintenance system.

From smart phones to sophisticated machineries that manufacture them, you can find an electrical connector in many forms. If you are an electrical industrialist or purchase engineer, it is essential to have some key factors in mind before making your final choice.

Here are a few essential aspects to check while choosing a connector:

Power

Power of the connector is a determining factor. The market offers a wide range of connectors with different power-ratings. Identify your requirement and choose the one that meets the purpose.

A low power variant may not give you the expected efficiency and on the other hand, a high power connector can even damage the entire system.

Density

The density of a connector is yet another influential factor in the present day. The higher the connector density, the more compact your machine design will be. This is especially important in case of complex machineries. In order to keep it solid at the same time give exceptional performances, it is essential to choose a high-density connector.

Temperature Resistance

Another important feature that adds to the quality of a connector is its capacity to withstand high temperatures. Most of these connectors are used in intricate machineries and they undergo immense heat exposure during their functioning. High-end connectors are often passed through multiple levels of testing to ensure its temperature resistance.

Speed

The transmission speeds of connectors are quite significant for their overall performance. Many of the latest connectors ensure to meet high transmission speeds. ExaMAX High Speed Backplane Connectors are one of the best you can get in the market these days.

Mating Features

The mating features of any connector play an important role in determining its performance, quality and durability. Before you choose your connector, ensure that you scout through specifications to analyze its mating features. The angle of mating, the number of mating cycles, etc. will be clearly mentioned in the specifications, which help to find the one matching your requirements. Mating cycles are especially important for connectors that are mated and unmated frequently. For a USB connector the mating cycles will be in thousands where as for a board to board connector will have a lesser mating cycle.

The easiest way to decide on a connector is often to choose the best brands. The connectors manufactured by prominent brands will have all major certifications, which makes it trustworthy. In that case, you will not have to compromise in terms of quality and safety.

Any electrical equipment will have different types of electrical connectors within. Each connector comes in different shapes, sizes, and materials. Function is another key factor that classifies the connectors.

From connecting a wire to a board to joining key elements on a PCB, connectors play diverse roles and serve many applications. Despite their simple design, they connect and bring power/signals to the system. Key factors that determine the quality of a good connector is its reliability, signal integrity, speed performance, power rating durability, and ease of assembly.

8P8C connector, where 8P8C stands for “eight positions, eight conductors” have eight positions, with corresponding conductors in the mating socket assigned to each. It is basically a modular connector and was primarily used in telephone wire applications. Today, they serve many applications and functions like being used to interface Ethernet jacks.

The 8P8C connectors have a male plug and a corresponding female socket connection. It carries eight contacts and when they get aligned with the corresponding eight conductors within the sockets, electrical signals get transmitted. Apart from Ethernet and telephone wires, they are also used in computer applications and other communication cables.

Generally, most modular connectors are technically named after the number of positions and conductors. They include sizes like -4-,-6-, 8-, and -10-. For instance, a 10P8C will have ten positions with eight conductors.

D-Subminiature Connectors

D-subminiature is much similar to 8P8C, as they are used in computer and play a critical function on modems. Though the name states “subminiature”, these are larger than most modern computer connectors. The connector has a D-shaped metal component that defines its shape and protects it. It also consists of two or more rows of pins with varying numbers in the male connector and a similar set of receiving ends in the female part. The male connector with a pin is called a plug whereas the receiving part that houses the contacts that connect these pins is called a socket. This connection is established to transmit electrical signals. This variant has the capability to provide protection against electromagnetic interference, commonly known as EMI.

USB Connectors

USB or Universal Serial Bus is a very common type of connector. They are small interfaces used to attach multiple devices to a computer. You can see at least two USB ports in any standard laptop that support external USB connectors and cables, while desktops have up to 4 USB ports in general. USB connectors gained much popularity and recognition, as it can be connected and disconnected easily while the device is still working. This contributed to its widespread use in computer applications that constantly require plugging and unplugging external devices, especially for transferring data.